Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / April 21, 1994, edition 1 / Page 38
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Fairley Suggests Ways To Refine School Improvement Planning BY SUSAN USHKR Reflection on the school hoard's experience this year reviewing school improvement plans led hoard member Bill Fairley Monday to of fer observations and recommenda tions for the "future" board that he thinks could lead to greater account ability and achievement. Fairley informally withdrew as a Republican candidate for the board after the school board reversed its decision on a resolution that would have required schools to tie their dif ferentiated pay plans to actual achievement rather than effort. T hough it wasn't required, a num ber of schools chose to revise their plans to reflect a greater emphasis on student and school achievement. Fach local school improvement or performance-based accountability plan (PBAP) includes three-year goals for improvement, plus onc vear plans for disbursing differenti ated pay. Most pay plans call for us ing a percentage of bonus pay for staff development, with division of the balance among participating staff members contingent on meet ing 01 exceeding stated goals and/or based on their effort toward achiev ing the goals. The plans are developed by school-based committees and must be approved by the county school board, incorporated into a county wide plan and submitted to the N.C. Division of Public Instruction for approval. Fairley he wants to make sure the board doesn't find itself approving waivers or exemptions that reflect policy shifts it hasn't talked about. "Before a future board gets into the process it should identify policy matters and have debated them." he suggested. One example he cited is "inclu sion." a special education program approach that allows teachers of the gifted and talented to work with en tire classrooms on enrichment exer cises on topics such as higher-order thinking and creativity, rather than only with students eligible for the gifted and talented program. A num ber of schools asked to be allowed to use the inclusion approach solely or in conjunction with other ap proaches. The waivers were al lowed. Another example: two schools, Bolivia and Waccamaw Elementary, asked to be exempted from the ban on corporate punishment, saying a significant number of parents want ed the schools to have that option. The waivers weren't allowed. Also, a number of schools sought waivers for meeting the schools' 10 day attendance policy, gaining ap proval for programs that allow stu dents to make up missed days. The waivers were allowed. "We may need to rethink the un derlying assumptions if they see these policies as a hindrance to their efforts to educate," suggested fair lev Me also recommended: ? asking the countvwidc PBAP committee to have schools submit comparative performance data in a consistent format so that school board members can compare "ap ples to apples" and look at a school's past, present and projected performance in relationship to other schools; ? determining how countywide and individual school improvement goals will be meshed since one must be based on the other and they may differ markedly; and ? developing a means of evaluat ing improvement in student achieve ment using a curve or some other means that charts all students' progress, rather than using an aver age. "All students will benefit from that kind of analysis," he said. "Averages hide the distribution of performance within a classroom, school or the county. That makes it hard to identify problems. "An average can be shifted up ward when only a small segment of the student population makes im provement." he said. "That's a really dangerous philosophy for this board to adopt without thinking about it." PBAP's, said Fairley, are one of the most direct ways the school board can affect student perfor mance. Unlike the slower trickle down of policy changes and their implementation, "It's the point we can say yes or no to specific learn ing processes taking place in the schools." Assistant Superintendent Jan Cal houn agreed that the board should 1994-95 Calendar Brunswick County Schools Aug. 23 First day for students Sept. 5 Labor Day holiday Oct. 28 Teacher workday (no classes) Nov. 2 Report cards issued Nov. 11 Veteran's Day holiday Nov. 23 Teacher workday (no classes) Nov. 24-25 Thanksgiving holiday Dec. 19 Teacher workday (no classes) Dec. 2()-Jan.l Christmas/ New Year's holidays Jan. 16 Martin Luther King holiday Jan. 17-18 Teacher workdays Jan. 31 Report cards issued Feb. 20 Teacher workday March 31 Teacher workday April 4 Report cards issued April 14 Teacher workday April 17-23 Easter holiday May 29 Memorial Day holiday June 8 Last day for students June 10 Graduation Teachers will begin work Aug. 16 and end work June 15. Staff development (in-service teacher training) will he scheduled on most workdays. High school graduations will he held in the Odell Williamson Auditorium at Brunswick Community College, on a staggered schedule. lake a second look at waivers it can decide, but that state must address waivers under its jurisdiction. The school system has the techno logical capability of charting student progress, but transferring the data is time-consuming. Calhoun suggested the central office staff try to provide the reporting through its assessment services to the schools. In related action, the board ap proved central office staff PBAPs for 1993-94 and 1994-95, and the systemwide PBAP for 1994-95. The courtly plan will be submitted to the N.C. Department of Public Instruc tion. with approval anticipated. The central office will focus its efforts on meeting staff development needs identified by the schools, bringing what is being taught in classrooms in line with the state cur riculum and end-of-year tests; pro grams that support student achieve ment: and raising standards and ex Routine School Personnel Decisions Approved By Board Monday Night The Brunswick County Board of Education approved routine person nel actions in open session Monday night as follows: Hired: interim math teacher Heath Hewett. Southport, West Brunswick High; interim English teacher Myra Harris, Wilmington. North Bruns wick High: interim remediation teacher Wayne Hyer. Bolivia, South Brunswick High; Timothy Randall, Calabash, safe schools site coordina tor, Shallotle Middle, and Boh Grimes, Leland, safe schools site co ordinator, North Brunswick High, both subject to project funding; Elaine Painter, Ixrng Beach, ac counting clerk, central office; Don ald Dupree. Southport, computer op erator/accounts payable clerk, cen tral office; Leave of absence: English teacher Wesley Coward, North Brunswick High, educational; Wilhelmenia Ev erett, cafeteria assistant, Lincoln Primary, medical. Resignation: Patti Fite, school Bus Driver Course Scheduled For Apr. A school bus drivers' course will be held April 26-2X on the Bruns wick Community College Supply campus. Class takes place from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Prospective bus drivers must have a valid North Carolina drivers li cense and no two moving violations within the past 12 months. For more information, call Vicki M Jenrette-Matthews at 754-5098. psychologist; Barbara Sich, Chapter I/Reading Recovery, Lincoln Pri mary: Phillip Tate, assistant princi pal. Southport Elementary; Cather ine Hart, middle grades teacher, South Brunswick Middle; Lisa Pa den, special education. South Bruns wick Middle; John Mark Melton, transportation department mechanic I; Winnie Norris. teacher assistant. Waccamaw Elementary; Tennise Lee. teacher assistant, Southport El ementary; Transfer: guidance counselor Christy Judah, Shallotte Middle to Bolivia Elementary (interim); Geo rge Edwards, custodian, from 50-50 Lincoln Primary and North Bruns wick to full-time at North; Retirement: Juanita Robinson, teacher assistant, Lincoln Primary; Pamela Pahl, administrative assis tant, Supply Elementary; and one substitute teacher was approved. Habitat Board Meets Tuesday Brunswick County Habitat for Humanity will hold a board of direc tors meeting Tuesday, April 26, at 7 p.m. in the administrative building multi-purpose room of Brunswick Community College. The public is being encouraged to attend and volunteer for committee positions, according to spokesman Birdie Frink. % QUALIFICATIONS EXPERIENCE EDUCATION Practicing Attorney N.C. Central University t Farming School of Law I Ml J School Teacher Juris Doctor Degree Deputy Sheritl N.C. State University Police Officer Bachelor of Science Probation/Parole Degree Officer Agriculture Education f . Medical Nakina High School Construction Graduating Class Security Officer Valedictorian Democrat * 20 years experience in the Judicial System Father of 4 Children * Born and raised in Will take time to listen Columbus County ' Wayne Long Forjudge Your Support Will Hard Working * Resident of Be Appreciated Fa,r'? A" Brunswick County Thirteenth Judicial District (Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus) VOTE WAYNE LONG PAYING TOO MUCH? AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE DWI? TOO MANY POINTS? Call Debbie Wheeler 754-2888 for low down payment and low monthly payments Seacoast Insurance Services 143 Promenade Park, Suite 4, Hwy. 130, Shallotte NON-OWNER POLICIES AVAILABLE COMMERCIAL ? AUTO ? RESIDENTIAL ? PERSONAL pcctations. In-service training priorities will he assessment and appropriate use of data; site-based management skills; safe and secure schools; use of technology; and conflict resolu tion and peer mediation, plus other training requested by specific schools. The central office staff bases its differentiated pay plan on the sys tem showing general improvement in 75 pcrccnt of a series of more than 50 indicators such as student test scores and attendance. "We wanted to get a feel for what we can expect," Calhoun said. "In the future we will use numerical goals." This past year, he said, the school system received negative publicity because it met a low percentage of its goals?a penalty for taking risks and setting ambitious goals, when other schools may have set more conservative goals and found them easier to achieve. '94-95 Calendar Adopted After much discussion, board members approved a school calen dar for 1994-95 recommended by board member Polly Russ and craft ed with input from teachers, admin istrators and parents. School board member Bill Fairley questioned the potential waste asso ciated with a teacher workday im mediately before the Thanksgiving holiday. Principal Pat Carney told the board that day is "one of the few days in the school year that is totally non-productive" because of holiday preparations, and that not scheduling classes on it "provides an enormous amount of goodwill in the communi ty" The calendar calls for all high school graduations to be held June 10 on a staggered schedule. Board member Polly Russ said she expects the ceremonies to be held in the Odell Williamson Auditorium at Brunswick Community College. (See calendar, this page.) No Action On Bids The board took no action on award of bids for additions to North and West Brunswick High schools, pending readvertising of electrical contract bids and opening of those bids April 29 at 3 p.m. Cost could LUNCH BUFFET MONDAY-FRIDAY 11-2:30 /lfo^54^5280 //f \' CopeH ?s^ exceed $1.2 million at an overall price of around $73 per square toot, compared to $55.50 per square foot for Supply Elementary School, the last school construction project, esti mated Assistant Superintendent Bill Turner. He will recommend accep tance of one alternate hid for two classrooms at West Brunswick, at a cost of $54 per square foot. School Visits Set The school board will visit the West Brunswick High attendance district May 13 (Union Elementary, Shallottc Middle and West Bruns wick High) and May 27 (Supply and Waccamaw Elementary). On the vis its board members meet with princi pals, tour school facilities, visit classrooms, then meet with faculty for a question and answer session. 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The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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April 21, 1994, edition 1
38
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